Cher Did It First (And Best)

As many of you may know, here at NUOVO we carry a torch for the first woman so iconic she needed only one name: Cher. While Cher’s reign began four decades ago, it’s far from over. Whether she’s starring in the new Marc Jacobs campaign or acting as inspiration for Kylie Jenner’s Coachella look, we can’t help but notice that Cher seems to be more omnipresent than ever these days. And rightfully so . . . there are few people in recent history who have done so much to consistently push the envelope on personal style evolution.

In fact, looking back on Cher’s greatest sartorial hits, it becomes apparent that she was the harbinger of many of today’s hottest trends. Personally, we don’t think she’s getting enough credit for it, so we’re here to set the record straight.

Forget Sonny . . . we got YOU, babe.

The Naked Dress

This year’s Met Gala was practically the year of the “Naked Dress,” with celebs the likes of Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian, and J.Lo boldly sporting the look.

However, it was Cher who rocked the original at the 1974 Met Ball, in a feathered translucent gown by designer and longtime collaborator Bob Mackie. The now-iconic look has become one of the most recognized in fashion history.

Getty / Source Elle.com

Don’t get us wrong, the other ladies look fierce . . . but as usual, the original is best.

Granny Hair

Rex Features / dailymail.co.uk

This trend has officially hit the mainstream, with shades ranging from icy silver to grey-hued lavender popping up on 20-somethings around the country. Ironically, it was the ageless queen herself who rocked the look long before the artsy girl from your office. Check her out in all her glory at the 1999 Brits Awards, donning a silvery platinum wig that’s almost got us ready to go for the dye.

Cutouts and Crops

The crop top has reached a saturation point, currently found atop high-fashion runways and in the depths of bargain bins alike. Its ubiquity is not yet tiresome (quite), but we yearn for the days when a crop or a well-placed cut-out didn’t feel quite so . . . expected. And though she may not have been the first to try a boldly midriff-baring ensemble, Cher was certainly the first to perfect it.

This photo of Cher and Elton John is so ‘70s glam we want to crawl inside it and absorb its wisdom.

Source: makemesmile.org

We can’t even talk about how cool this crop top looks bundled underneath a fur coat. Not to mention the blue eyeshadow . . . the woman can pull off anything.

And this cascading canary silk that would look like a disaster on anyone else feels impossibly sumptuous (and, dare we say, elegant) when paired with Cher’s shiny mane, olive skin, and smoldering gaze.

Baring It All

Well, not quite all . . . but we will say that Cher was expressing her right to a scantily clad existence long before the Moore-Willis girls were hosting #FreeTheNipple fundraisers.

Here, a sheer, lace-paneled camisole hits just the right note beneath a sleek white blazer and wide-brimmed Panama hat.

We would be remiss if we didn’t point out the resemblance this iconic photo bears to a certain other diva’s album cover…

Matching Sets

Forty years before T. Swift popularized the matching top-and-bottom combo that quickly swept across the country, Cher was romping around the set of her hit show in a ‘70s iteration of the look. We think it would be every bit as cool today, maybe with a pair of chunky clogs to keep the vibe of the era going.

High-Waisted Jeans

Let’s close things out with this perennially cool snapshot. Since high-waisted ‘70s flares have recently experienced a rebirth, we couldn’t help but share one of our all-time favorite photos. Cher certainly wasn’t the only one rocking this look in 1975, but as always . . . she was the one doing it best.